The next morning Castor immediately set to work on packing and polishing his armor. Light streamed through the windows of the well-lit room and birds sang their songs outside. He was just thinking about how pleasant it was when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in." It was Merric. "Hello Merric."

"Good morning sir. I trust you slept well?"

"Yes, very well, and you?"

"Just fine," He said, but it was clear from the bags under his eyes and his unconfident manner that he was most certainly not fine.

"Good, now that that's over with, what did you come in here about?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Theuses." The question surprised Castor, though he was not sure why. "And the elves in general," Merric added after a moment's thought.

"What about him?"

Merric hesitated as if he was not sure what to say. "He seems.... Untrusting."

"Wouldn't you be in his situation?" Castor argued.

"I know, but can we really trust someone else, yet not have them trust us?"

"It's a risk to be sure, but the elves are our most valuable ally in this war. Without us, they would be done for, whether they know it or not, and if they are conquered, we are next. It is a very difficult situation, but one I think we can handle."

"If you think so." He mumbled, which was very out of character. "I hope your right." He nodded to Castor awkwardly, turning around and leaving. Almost an hour later while Castor was packing his armor Theuses came in.

"Packing already?"

Castor bowed his head. "We will need to get going and I feel I have over stayed your courtesy long enough.

"What will you do?"

"I've got no choice but to find and destroy the Argle base or at least defeat enough of them to make them think twice before attacking again."

"You'll need some help. I'm willing to bet you don't know a thing about the forest."

"What are you suggesting, if you don't mind me being so blunt?"

Theuses smiled. "Not a bit. I've come to tell you I'm coming with you."

"What?" Castor was taken aback by the outlandish sentiment.

"Think about it. You have no idea where the Empire is stationed, you have a scratchy idea of the forest at best, and you could severely use the gift of magic. I may not be ideal, but I am your answer."

"That may be, but you are the prince. Send one of you warriors or knights instead. What will you father say?"

Theuses drew up a sour expression. "My father will dislike my decisions, but he will respect them as my own. He will not interfere with this, and I would trust no one but myself with the task of guiding you."

Castor began to protest again but Theuses stopped him. "I'm coming with you, face it." He turned away and left the room.

That is one determined elf, Castor thought to himself.

Later Castor and his men were mounted and ready. Theuses was also there along with three warriors. Castor looked them over.

The first was a man, tall, wearing a green shirt and leather armor. He carried a bow and a sword. The second was a woman. She was also tall and carried a long, carved spear with a thin, sharp head. She had brown hair and wore leather armor. The last was a knight. He was marked by his silver armor and blue cloak. A huge, two-hand sword was hanging at his hip.

Theuses himself wore a silver breastplate over a green shirt and white greaves. His ever present bow was slung over his back and a sword was at his side. A small knife was also tucked in his belt. The elves were all mounted on white stallions. After checking that everyone was ready Theuses spurred his horse forward, leading the group out of Ilesmatr.

~ ~ ~

"My spies report they are leaving Ilesmatr Sire. Shall I have my men close in on them?"

"Yes, and I would have you at their head," Bantu declared. "You screwed up once by letting them live. You were ignorant in only lightly encountering them. I do not wish it to happen again. This time you go for the kill. Leave none alive."

Tarris bowed his head. "It shall be as you say, my lord."

"Within the week I want their heads put on poles outside of my castle. They have been a nuisance; see to it that is all they are."

"This will be difficult my lord. They are in the company of elves. The prince also accompanies them. It will be a hard fought victory."

Bantu bared his teeth. "I don't care if it's hard fought. The elves must be stalled while we free the Dark Lord. This prince may disrupt are plans and I refuse to have that happen. He and his armies will leave the forest or be killed there. Once you have attacked them I wish to have a force strike the capital of Ilesmatr. It is time the elves learned they are not as strong as they once thought. Most of all kill Lord Elrin. His reign has ended and he will perish."

Again Tarris bowed his head. "It shall be thus my lord."

~ ~ ~

The group stopped to rest the horses and let the huge creatures drink. Castor slung down from the saddle and sat on a hollow log. He pulled out a sharpening stone and began to sand his sword blade. For some reason he liked the sound of the stone withering over the sword. Maybe it was because he knew he was making a difference, even though it was small. Horace came and sat down next to him. "Castor," He said.

"Horace," Castor replied without looking up. "Is there a problem?"

"I don't know. It just, I have this strange feeling in my gut that something isn't right."

This time Castor did look up and put away his sharpening stone. "You're not the only one, though I don't think Theuses has anything to do with it. For some reason I trust him."

"That makes one of us." Horace said.

Castor laughed. "Merric had about the same answer. Rest your worries; I feel the elves will prove themselves soon." Horace was about to respond when Theuses came up to them.

"Castor, can you be ready in a few minutes? Argles are still around here somewhere and I would like us to be moving as much as possible."

"Sure Theuses."

He walked away. "Come on Horace, let's go." They saddled up and spurred their horses. Soon they were once again riding through the forest.

When the sun began to sink and the shadows of the trees grew long Theuses stopped them. "We rest here for the night." They were at the base of a massive tree with long, knurled roots. A space had been dug out between two larger ones that formed two small walls that could hide them from prying eyes. It was an almost perfect campsite.

They tide the horses to nearby trees and laid out sleeping roles. They couldn't light a fire for fear they would be seen by enemy Argle forces. A sentry shift was also set. The night was quiet, the only sound being the crickets chirp or the beat of butterfly wings.

In the morning they set off immediately and ate cold rations on horseback. The ride gave Castor lots of time to think.

He mulled over the different situations of his kingdom or simple things like how the bird got itself to rise above the forest floor. He saw a small, brightly colored bird flying up from the forest floor unto a tree branch. What an advantage that would be, Castor thought. I wonder if any man could ever do that. In a battle if a group of soldiers could get up the walls that quickly the battle could be decided then and there.

Thinking of battle brought his thoughts to his kingdom. He knew that it was planting season soon. Calling soldiers to war now could potentially hurt harvest. After thinking about it for a while he realized it would only be a problem if they had no choice but to call on reserves or make the common folk fight. Then again, he thought, if we were calling the common folk to fight we would have more problems than just the harvest. Then he would be jerked out of his thoughts by the sudden halt of the horses for a water break and a chance to stretch your legs.

It was at one of these stops where they heard a stomp of feet in a rhythmic beat. Theuses raised his hand, signaling everyone to remain where they were. The noise grew closer. It got so loud Castor was sure a group of Argles were going to come crashing through the trees. He looked around franticly but he didn't see anything.

Then an arrow flew out of nowhere and struck down one of his soldiers.

The unfortunate man wobbled for a moment before toppling from his saddle. In an instant all the swords were drawn.

"Dismount," Theuses whispered. The men did so.

Another arrow shot from the trees and struck down a second soldier. One of Theuses's warriors pulled down his bow and notched an arrow. The elf knight lifted his sword and raised his shield.

"Now, now," A hidden voice soothed. A ring of Argles appeared around the group. In front, facing Castor and Theuses, Tarris himself stood. He wore his traditional green cloak with silver armor atop it. A long hood covered part of his face. His sword was drawn and held by both his hands. More ranks of Argles appeared, but did not advance.

Tarris took a step forward. "Ah, what do we have here? Theuses of Ilesmatr? The prince of the strongest race in Unisus, running through a forest with a bunch of humans? That is surly a strange thought, yet that is no matter. This time I have not come for you, it is the human I want. Hand him over."

"No."

Tarris glared, but did not look surprised. "Hand him over now."

"I will not," Theuses answered stiffly.

"Don't make this more difficult than it has to be, Theuses. My men clearly outnumber you and your weak guard. Yet, since I'm in a giving mood, I will make a deal. Hand over the human, along with his generals and I will withdraw my forces from the lands closest to your cities. It's not your kingdom I want, but the human."

Theuses's eyes squinted with suspicion but Castor could see he was tempted by the offer. Castor's men outnumbered Theuses, but he had no doubt Theuses could take them out if necessary. However, withdrawing from the areas around the elven cities would be a major move and no evidence that the Empire would actually do it. The Argles could take out both the groups if there were as many of them as it appeared, though Castor had learned that looks could be deceiving.

"How do I know you will hold to this oath?" Theuses asked.

"You have my word."

"That's another oath. For all I know, and in fact what I suspect, you could have orders to kill us all. I still have no proof."

A smile tugged at the edges of Tarris's face. "That you don't. And you won't get it either. This has gone long enough." He signaled to the Argles. "Take him," Gesturing to Castor.

"Wait. It's a deal." Theuses stuck out his hand.

"NO!" Horace shouted. One of the Argles growled in response, but everyone else ignored him.

Tarris reached out and grasped Theuses hand, but before he could release it, Theuses grabbed his knife with the other hand and cut Tarris's arm clean off at the elbow. The Maneket jumped back and howled in pain while he clutched the bleeding stub. The Argles acted instinctively and charged forward. The party of elves and humans did likewise.

The elf that had drawn his bow fired an arrow that hit the lead Argle square between the eyes, though it took two more to take him down. The elf knight charged at the enemies and with a flashing blade, eliminated three more, shedding his hindering cloak in the process. The elf woman also fought using her strange spear to stab and slash her enemies. The elves dove under the strikes of their enemies and dispatched them with small, settle movements. They worked so efficiently they fell into an almost dance of blurred movement.

Castor's men also pulled their weight, though their skill was not to that of the elves. Meanwhile, Tarris had recovered his sword from the ground where he had dropped it with his remaining hand.

"Your heads will fall! That I swear!" He lifted his sword and swung it down in a powerful strike against Theuses. The elf danced out of the way and lifted his sword to the ready. "Coward! Stand and face me!"

"I would rather be a coward then a fool," Theuses responded softly.

Tarris cursed and swung again. This time Theuses blocked the blade and moved inward, putting Tarris's broadsword at a disadvantage. The Maneket struggled to step back and give himself room while Theuses continued to put heavy pressure on his blade. Finally Theuses slashed his sword, giving Tarris a thin cut on the cheek. This time the Drakon had had enough. He dropped his sword and reached within his cloak.

"DRAKON!

In a moment and a flash of light Tarris had transformed into a huge, brilliantly silver dragon. Theuses moved back quickly as the dragon snapped his jaws at him. Though, in his haste he tripped on a root. His sword went flying and he lay sprawled on his back.

Franticly, Castor grabbed the axe of a fallen Argle and threw it with all his might at the dragon. The axe collided with it and struck with a horrendous clatter. The dragon lifted its head and swiped one of its claws at Castor who kept it away with his sword. Theuses scrambled to get up and seized his bow. Castor dodged around and lifted his shield, ready to deflect a blow. Theuses released two arrows that hit Tarris in the chest. The dragon flinched and clenched his fists. He let out a long pillar of white hot fire. Castor ran, managing to get out of the radius of the blast. Unfortunately, Theuses was not so lucky.

"Hurnay quilia cyilon!" He shouted at the last moment. A shimmering blue sphere appeared around him. It deflected the flames, but seemed to do nothing about the heat, because he collapsed once the flames had been staunched.

"Horace!" Castor shouted. The captain looked up after running his blade through an Argle. Castor pointed to Theuses and Horace nodded, signaling he understood. Castor then turned to face the dragon. He had to stall long enough so the others could kill all the Argles. Yet the Argles just kept coming. After a quick glance he saw they had lost one more of his soldiers, though all of his men seemed to have suffered a wound of some degree.

Tarris approached. "A mere human, against the general of the race of demons? This will be fun." He lunged forward and blew down fire.

Castor jumped aside and lifted his shield to deflect the fire. It sprayed around him in blazing tongues, making him feel the sweltering heat. He spun around and led Tarris away from where Horace was reviving Theuses. The dragon blew more flames in a merciless torrent of heat. Castor kept his distance and kept his shield up while the dragon continued to advance.

Finally, Tarris had had enough toying and went in for the kill. He leaped at Castor and attacked with his bone-white claws. Castor's shield flew and he dropped his sword. The huge dragon towered over him with open jaws, revealing the rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth. His head dipped, ready to swallow. Then he heard a spell.

"Magniae likron flitri pretfeco eeria!" Thunder and lightning poured down on the dragon, striking him time after time; blow after blow. At last he collapsed by the pure force of the onslaught. Opening his wings he bellowed flame into the lightning, but it of course did nothing.

He lifted his scaly neck and bellowed out, "This is not the last time you have seen me, elf! Your blood will seep into the ground! Just as it will be with your father." He said with a sneer. He spread his massive wings and leaped into the sky.

For a moment all the Argles looked up to see him fly away. They then quickly returned to the battle.

Theuses stood shakily with his hand outstretched. He stayed standing for a few seconds before collapsing again. Castor took another look around the battle field. The body of the fallen soldier still lay there, but thankfully no one else had been killed yet.

Across the battle field the elf knight swung his sword in massive strokes, killing Argles left and right. Merric and Guilin stood next to one another, defending each other's backs. Merric fought with his sword and Guilin with his spear. It appeared the flow of Argles had finally stopped but there were still about eighty left in that area of the wood. Horace stood nearby doing his best to keep the Argles away from Theuses Castor kept watching as another Argle cut down a second soldier, seconds later a third followed.

There was no way they could win this battle he thought. His train of thought was interrupted when an Argle broke through the others and charged him. He turned to spin around but he tripped on a dead body. The Argle followed him with his axe raised. With one of his meaty fists the beast yanked him from the moss-covered ground and off his feet. The monster held Castor high while he hefted his axe, ready to strike. The Argles face was so close Castor could feel the heat of his breath and the stench of his body. The monster let out a war cry and swung downward.

Suddenly he stopped. At first Castor had no idea what had happened. Then the saw the arrow stuck deep in the Argles forehead. The beast wobbled for a second, mouth still gaping from his battle cry, before falling over. Castor scrambled from the dead Argle's clutch and picked up his fallen sword. For a moment all was silent as both friend and foe starred at the fallen enemy with the arrow protruding from its skull.

Then more arrows came.

They came from everywhere, striking and killing the Argles. Castor and his men lifted their shields in defense while the elves just stood in awe. Once the onslaught was finished, not a single remaining Argle stood alive, save the ones that fled into the forest. Then from the trees came elves. They were all warriors. All held bows and most had a spear or a sword as well. The person who appeared to be the leader was a tall woman. She had blond hair and wore a green tunic with silver greaves and arm guards.

On her back was a silver bow and a silver ringlet adorned her brow, identical to the one Theuses wore. A quiver of arrows was hung on her back and two long daggers hung from her belt. Her bright green eyes scanned the clearing, pausing at Castor. She approached him.

"So you are the infamous 'King Castor of Archain and ally of the elves in this war' that my father told me about?"

"I am," He said warily.

"Of course you are, why else would you be in the company of elves?" She sounded like she was already bored of the sound of his voice.

"It was you who asked the question," Castor said defensively.

The woman glared at him, until she saw Theuses lying on the ground where Horace stood, trying to revive him. Her eyes grew wide. She turned to one of her warriors.

"Simurse i pharno, yarth cris stre thil!" She ran to Theuses. The elf warrior grabbed some leaves, twigs, and sticks and lit a small fire.

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